‘The world can be a very isolating place for people like us’
Chloe Rees is the mother of an autistic son. She’s determined to create the best start to life for little Reggie that she can. Bethany Gavaghan reports
“THERE have been times where I have felt like a failure as a mother for not being able to take my children out on weekends like I see other parents do.”
These are the words of a mother who has an autistic ADHD son.
Due to five-year-old Reggie Rees’ needs, day-to-day life can be more complicated for them as a family because not everyone understands the challenges they face.
His mum, Chloe, from Bridgend, has found that it is very difficult to do “normal” activities with her son without additional support.
Due to the difference in the way Reggie’s brain works, he often does not notice the dangers that are around him, and he gets excited easily.
She said: “As many neurodivergent people and their parents know, the world can be a very isolating place when it hasn’t been designed for people like us.”
Chloe now takes her son to a specialist day nursery and family centre called Y Bont, which is in Bridgend.
Here, Reggie gets to enjoy new experiences like Saturday club, holiday club or family fun days.
Being autistic ADHD means that when Reggie goes out in public with his mum she is always on alert for anything that could harm him.
The mother-of-two said: “It’s a good thing Reggie loves supermarkets because before Y Bont it felt like the only thing we did for family time was go to supermarkets, where I could put Reggie and Pepper both in a trolley.
“Whilst he was happy to help me browse the aisles and get excited about buying his favourite brands, all I wanted was to take them both out without fear of Reg accidentally putting himself in harm’s way because he was unable to recognise the dangers around him.
“Y Bont has given us the opportunity and freedom to bond through family outings, allowing us to give our children the best memories and that confidence we needed as parents.”
Chloe, 26, also has a two-year-old daughter called Pepper, who is not ADHD or autistic, and has spotted some key differences in their experience of the world.
She said: “When I found out that Reggie was autistic and had ADHD I made it my mission to find out everything I could about his condition. There’s a lot of misinterpretations about what autism is. And there’s a lot of stigma about what people can and cannot do.
“I wanted to listen to autistic people, and autistic adults as well as parents of autistic children, to find out more about those barriers and navigating the world so that if Reggie does come across those issues I can advise him and help him.
“My partner and I went to an ADHD talk in Cardiff the other week and it was saying that there are a lot of startling statistics showing that one in six prisoners have ADHD, or that they are more likely to turn to drugs or alcohol.
“I want to be able to show Reggie that he doesn’t have to be a statistic and there are ways of smashing those stereotypes. I really do feel as a parent that that’s my role now, and show him that with the right support he can do anything he wants to.”
Determined to support other people with neurodiversities and parents of children affected by them, Chloe is taking part in the 50k in May challenge and she is hoping to raise as much as she can for Y Bont.
She said: “This is for Reggie, and yes, this is to give back what Y Bont have given us, but this is also to raise awareness of our Y Bont family and the services they provide, so that more children and families like ours can have that vital support that has changed our lives so much for the better.”
So far, Chloe has raised £425 via her online fundraiser.